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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) should conduct  the full and legally required Great Lakes Submerged Lands Act review of the entire proposed drilling area of Enbridge's Line 5 oil tunnel in the Straits of Mackinac.

"The Great Lakes Submerged Lands Act is in place to safeguard the Great Lakes and our natural resources from unnecessary projects that cause harm," said Beth Wallace, Great Lakes climate and energy director for the National Wildlife Federation. “Any attempt to shortcut or narrow their review will only benefit the interest of big oil, could open a wide door for other extractive industries, and would undermine the legal standards meant to protect our public waters."  

A full Great Lake Submerged Lands Act review is critical due to the grave risks to the Great Lakes and the people and wildlife who rely on them. According to the state's own experts, the tunnel would be bored through unstable rock, risking catastrophic collapse, not just of the tunnel, but of the lakebed itself. There are also risks of tunnel explosions and discharges of chemical pollution into the Great Lakes. With the stakes this high, EGLE must do a thorough evaluation, after which we are confident that the tunnel permit will be denied.

July marks 15 years since the Kalamazoo River tar sands oil disaster — the largest inland tar sands oil spill in U.S. history – emphasizing Enbridge’s track record and the need for rigorous scrutiny. The company shows a history of , and . Furthermore, Enbridge and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have repeatedly failed to engage in honest Tribal consultation, dismissing Indigenous sovereignty and the risks posed to sacred waters. Michigan cannot afford another disaster fueled by negligence. EGLE must hold Enbridge to the highest standard because our Great Lakes, Tribal communities, and future generations depend on it.